


What Lies in the Shadows

by Mainstream_Deviant



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Ancient Egypt AU, Gen, Magical being Kek, but you can read it however you want tbh, my hc is pre-deathshipping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:00:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27273817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mainstream_Deviant/pseuds/Mainstream_Deviant
Summary: After being unceremoniously chased out of his home by royal guards, Ryou takes shelter in a cave. He doesn't expect it to be occupied.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 12
Collections: Heka: A Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters Fan Project





	What Lies in the Shadows

Ryou stumbled, and stifled a curse when his knee scraped painfully against a rock. There hadn’t been time for finesse as he dove for the mouth of the cave, and his poor knee was paying the price.

The shouts of the guards got louder and Ryou stepped back into the shadows, forcing his panting breaths to calm by willpower alone. He readjusted his hood and dropped into a crouch, ready to bolt again if he absolutely had to. He’d been leading his pursuers on a merry chase along a ravine, but with any luck they’d pass his new hiding place by.

As the clamouring of the guards approached, Ryou grabbed a stone and heaved it hard into the wall opposite the cave. The sound echoed, and the shouts intensified as they streamed past. One of the guards spared his cave a quick glance on the way by, but not one of them stopped to consider whether someone could be hiding in it. Idiots. When the sounds of their footfalls had faded to blissful silence, Ryou took the chance to look around his hiding place properly.

It was a deep cave, twisting off in a couple of different directions, but nothing special. Just sand, and rock, and a few dried-up bushes clinging to its edges where they could reach for the midday sun. There were no visible signs of water or food sources from where he stood, and he mourned for his dry throat. But it was cool in the shade, at least, and free of guards. All in all, solidly mediocre.

But mediocre or not, it was clear he couldn’t go back to the village, or carry on to the next town with no provisions, either – especially not with guards on the lookout. He’d take what he could get. This cavern, if nothing else, had some good nooks and crannies for hide and seek if it came to that.

Ryou picked the sand out of his bloody knee as best as he could, then set out deeper into his little hideaway. It would serve him well to be familiar with it before the guards headed back into town – just in case one of them decided to get smart and search for him properly.

* * *

The evening air was cool, and Ryou grumbled to himself as he pulled his cloak tighter. This had turned into a perfectly miserable day. He’d been thinking himself in circles all afternoon, and he was no closer to pinpointing where it had gone so horribly wrong. What a mess.

Bu at least the guards had passed by some time ago, and didn’t show signs of returning. That was one thing in his favour. And a more thorough exploration of the cave had yielded a small pool of murky water, so he wouldn’t die of thirst. So perhaps there were two things in his favour. Better than nothing.

Unfortunately for Ryou, that’s where the list ended. He’d run from the guards with nothing but the clothes on his back. He’d need basic supplies, the sooner the better. But even so, it didn’t take an expert to know it was too risky to sneak back into town tonight with all the guards on the lookout. For now, his main focus was just to get through the night. Supplies would have to wait until morning.

A whisper of wind snaked its way through the cave, and Ryou shivered. He didn’t know which god he’d pissed off to deserve all this, but as soon as he could travel safely he was going to find them and give them a piece of his mind.

Darkness came quickly as the last glimmers of red faded from the horizon. The thick, smooth feeling of the encroaching shadows was surely a trick of the mind, brought on by some combination of hunger, thirst, and fatigue. Ryou turned his gaze to the mouth of the cave. The little strip of stars he could see through the cave entrance would have to guide him through the night. Tomorrow he would be able to think more clearly.

“Why hello there, little morsel.”

Ryou whipped around and stared into the darkness of the cave. His eyes ached as they tried to focus. When they did, Ryou almost wished they hadn’t.

Staring out at him from the dark was a pair of deep purple eyes, luminous in the shadows.

Ryou scrambled to his feet, grabbing a pointed shard of rock to use as a makeshift weapon. He squinted at the eyes, and fell into a defensive crouch. The eyes stared back, unmoving and silent.

Ryou adjusted his grip on his rock. “I’m not a morsel.” All he got in response was a low chuckle that sent shiver up his spine. “What are you?”

“Oh, just a stray piece of shadows.” The eyes seemed to take on an amused glint, but it was hard to tell when they didn’t seem to be attached to a face. “Why are you in my cave, morsel?”

“None of your business, shadowling.”

A loud, braying cackle filled the cave, and the eyes narrowed into violet slits in their mirth before vanishing entirely. The shadows around Ryou seemed to writhe against his skin, and he let out a yelp when the voice suddenly murmured directly into his ear. “You amuse me. I think I’ll keep you.”

Ryou growled and slashed his stone into the shadows over his shoulder. It cut through the air without a sound. “I can’t be kept.”

“Perhaps. Or perhaps not.” The eyes reappeared to Ryou’s left, and the shadows seemed to arrange themselves into a vaguely human silhouette around them. Then again, it could be a trick of his overactive imagination. “You’re probably hungry. Eat.”

A wave of thick shadows burbled towards Ryou, and as it ebbed a slab of bread appeared in its wake. He eyed it suspiciously. “I don’t even know what you are. I’m definitely not eating anything you give me.”

The shadows seemed to ripple, just a bit. “Suit yourself.”

And with that, the night was quiet once more.

* * *

Ryou had only slept when the weight of his eyelids gave him no other choice. He figured that if the whatever-it-was wanted him harmed he’d be a smear on the cave wall by now, but that didn’t mean he was going to drop his guard.

As daylight broke, the shadows lost their silky quality as fast as they’d gained it, and Ryou relaxed. He dozed in the early morning sun until he was woken by the ferocious grumbling of his empty stomach. The bread from last night still sat temptingly on the ground nearby, but he steeled himself and decided it was a better idea to try sneaking back into town for supplies than trust an unknown entity, no matter how intriguing.

He thought out his plan of approach carefully. He planned every move, accounted for every variable, prioritized his needs and actions with all the skill of a master gamesman.

Which is why it was so exceptionally frustrating when he found himself bolting away from a pair of guards as the sun was pulling its last rays from the sky.

He scrambled towards the entrance of the cave as quickly as he could. He hadn’t planned on coming back this way, but maybe that creature would scare the guards off so he could make his own escape. As soon as he was inside, he wedged himself into a small alcove. The shadows grew thick and heavy as the last drops of sunlight faded, and he threw a rock into them, hoping to draw some attention.

The guards rounded the corner, but no mysterious apparition followed. Damn. He knew he didn’t have long. He tried to sneak his way back to the entrance of the cave as soon as the guard’s backs were turned.

“There! Halt!”

Ryou leapt for the entrance, but he wasn’t fast enough. A hand clamped down on his arm and yanked him back just as he was about to get out under the open sky. He yelled and struggled, but physical strength had never been his forte. Soon, his arms were pinned and all he could do was yell as he was dragged backwards and watched the night sky get further away.

And then it abruptly vanished in a swirl of shadows. From the darkness now blocking the mouth of the cave, the violet eyes blinked open.

“Maybe you fools didn’t realize. That little morsel is _mine_.”

On the one hand, the creature’s sudden appearance stopped the guards in their tracks. On the other, their grips didn’t loosen so Ryou couldn’t take advantage of that fact. But he didn’t have long to be frustrated by that fact – a breath later, they simply… ceased to be.

Ryou stumbled as he was suddenly pushing and pulling against thin air. He scrambled further into the cave, feeling around for another makeshift weapon.

He heard a sigh as the shadows thinned and the stars reappeared in the mouth of the cave. “After all I just did for you, more weapons? Tsk. So ungrateful.” The eyes blinked closed, and the shadows swirled away to reform their silhouette on the same rock outcrop as the night before. “You should be nicer to your protector.” The eyes blinked away again, and Ryou barely held back his yelp as the air next to him suddenly coalesced into a shadowy figure, leaning towards his rucksack with wide, curious lavender eyes. “And what have you brought, that they so desired?”

Ryou pulled his bag protectively close, but held his ground. It was clear that running wouldn’t do him any good, so he straightened his spine and met the gaze dead on. “Nothing.”

“That’s a lot of fuss over ‘nothing’, little morsel.”

Ryou, somehow, got the impression the shadow was smirking, but since it was veiled in darkness he wasn’t sure how he knew that. He huffed.

“Nothing a guard would care about, then.” The lavender eyes stayed still, and Ryou narrowed his own. “Are you a friend or a foe?”

“Depends on who’s asking.”

“I’m asking.” Ryou levelled a stern look on the shadowy creature. It rippled and flowed around the edges as though it was made from smoke. It was hard to focus on it.

“Hmm, well in that case – a friend. For now.”

Ryou held the gaze for several long, silent seconds. Satisfied, he relaxed his grip on the bag and flopped to the ground. “Alright then.”

The eyes blinked and widened. Ryou thought they looked remarkably less threatening when they were shocked, and chuckled. “What? Did you think I wasn’t grateful that you dealt with the guards?”

There was a general grumbling from the room. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

“Well, I’m not most people. I think that’s the fundamental problem with me, really.” Ryou kept himself facing in the direction of his new companion, and groped around in his bag. It was too dim in the cave to see what he was doing, but that didn’t matter much. When his fingers brushed against rough crust, he pulled out a piece of bread with a pleased grin and held it out. “See? Nothing a guard would care that much about.” He reached in and pulled out a second small loaf, and held each up to his face, squinting at them in the gloom.

The shadowy man snorted. “Are you checking them for weapons, morsel?”

“No, don’t be ridiculous. I’ve got two types here, and I’m trying to see which is which. It’s a little dark for us mere humans.”

Just like that, the mouth of the cave was blocked out by a wall of shadow and the blackness of the cave was absolute. Ryou gasped, but before the air could rush out in a shout of alarm, dozens of tiny purple flames flickered to life all along the cave walls, lighting the whole area in a soft glow. Ryou let the air in his lungs whoosh out in awe, and the bread dropped from his hands, forgotten.

“Whoa…” Ryou cast his eyes around the cave, enthralled by its transformation. “How did you…?”

“I know many magics you won’t know.”

Ryou snorted. “I don’t know any magics.”

The shadows mockingly snorted right back. “Doubtful.”

“Magic isn’t exactly a common trait, you know.” Ryou turned towards the voice, and gaped. “Whoa.”

Where the eyes had been stood a man, lavishly dressed in silks, jewels and gold. The wildness of his blond hair would put even the prince’s to shame, and the teeth in his grin were just a little too sharp, but he would otherwise pass for quite human. And a beautiful one, at that. Ryou stared unabashedly.

“What _are_ you?”

“I told you – just a stray bit of shadow.”

Ryou walked right up to him and poked a finger to his chest. “Pretty solid for a shadow.” He reached up to pinch a piece of blond bangs between his fingers. “And pretty human-looking.” Ryou considered the new apparition in silence for a few moments, and then his eyes widened. “Wait, oh my – are you a shadow mage or something? Are you from _there_? Is it all true?! Oooh, you have to tell me _everything!!_ ”

Ryou’s outburst earned him a distinctly unimpressed look. “What are you rambling about?”

“The vanished village! The rumours have been going around for years… a whole village of people vanishing to nothing in the middle of the night, weird magic, living shadows, cursed ruins… it’s so _fascinating_ , I’ve been trying to get to the bottom of that for ages, it’s so _creepy_ ….” Ryou blinked up at the man, hopeful. “Please say you’re from there.”

The silence stretched out for several long, awkward minutes as cool lavender eyes stared him down. Then, finally, lips parted. “… no. I live in this cave.”

Ryou pouted. “Aw.” He cast his gaze around the cave. “Are you sure you don’t know anything about it?”

There was another long pause. “…yes.”

Ryou considered the man, and then smirked. “Are you sure you’re telling the truth?”

The man scoffed. “I don’t answer to you.”

“Are you sure?”

A faint growl came from the man’s chest. “Yes.”

“And yet you made yourself look all pretty and human for my benefit.”

The comment was waved off with a dismissive scoff. “That’s just a favourite trick of mine.”

“Oh? Why?”

“The better to please my guests with.”

Ryou gave him a skeptical look. “You don’t seem like someone who welcomes many guests.”

“Only the special ones, of course.” He man walked slowly around Ryou, and reached a hand out to brush through the ends of his long, white hair. “And you seem to be special according to all kinds of people.”

Ryou rolled his eyes. “Hardly.”

“Then why are all those guards after you, hmm?” The man – or should that still be ‘creature’? – stopped in front of Ryou with a cocky smirk. “They’re far too lazy to chase people into my cave simply for the fun of it.”

Ryou took a step back, just to see if he’d be allowed to do so. He was gratified when his companion simply crossed his arms as he waited for his answer. Ryou stared at him, considering his options. What he was talking to, he wasn’t sure, but this… individual… had been nicer to him so far than almost anyone else in recent memory.

Ryou sighed and curled a piece of hair around his fingers. “It might have to do with my hair?”

“It’s quite striking. A worthy prize.”

Ryou scoffed. “Hardly. What would they do with my hair? Wear it as a wig?” Ryou stared at the strands in his fingers critically and then flicked them back over his shoulder. “No, I think they were under orders to scoop up anyone with pale hair. There were some rumours going around for a couple of days before I had to run for my life. And since I’ve never done anything wrong in my entire life up until now – ” Ryou shot his companion a sour look when he scoffed loudly, “ – and the fact that any guards who didn’t already know my face lost all interest as soon as I tucked my hair up under a hood, I bet it’s true. I can’t imagine why though.”

Those striking lavender eyes narrowed in a scowl. “I have a guess or two.” He cut Ryou’s question off before he got a chance to ask it. “How far along is your training?”

Ryou tilted his head. “What training?”

“In your magic, of course. What else would a being like me care about? Don’t lie- I know your type well.”

“I told you, I don’t have magic.” Ryou grinned. “Except maybe my natural charm and allure. That’s gotten me more than a few free meals in my time.”

“Nonsense. You reek of it.” The man started to circle him again, looking him over with a critical eye.

Ryou followed then man with his eyes. “I reek of two straight days running for my life. I didn’t realize my sweat was that fascinating.”

“It’s not.” Shadows started to curl around the man’s ankles like a herd of affectionate cats when he stopped in front of Ryou again. “Surely your family taught you at least the basics.”

Ryou shrugged. “Orphan. Also, human. _Hu-man_. Not so magical, I’m afraid, unless you’re rich and powerful enough to have the tools to force it.”

The cackle that fell from the man’s mouth was more inhuman than not. “Wrong.” The shadows swirled up his body and enveloped him in an instant. Before Ryou even had time to blink, he had reappeared directly behind him, with an unbreakable grip on one of his wrists. The man leaned forward to speak directly into Ryou’s ear. “Let’s see what you’re hiding, hmm?” He yanked Ryou’s arm up to point forward.

“I’m not hiding anyth-” Ryou gasped as the shadows around his shoulder pressed down, and down, and _in_ – and suddenly there was a hum in his arm unlike anything he’d ever felt. He gasped, flexing his fingers on instinct. As though they’d only been waiting for the right time, soft white flames erupted from his fingers, dancing on the tips as though they’d been replaced by wicks. The shadows immediately pulled back, but the flickering bits of flame remained. When Ryou turned his palm upwards, they pooled together in his palm like milk in a dish. “How did you _do_ that?!”

Ryou heard a rumbling chuckle behind him. “Oh, I didn’t. My shadows can’t do that. I simply shocked your system awake.” The shadows swirled away from Ryou, and soon the creature rematerialized so they stood face to face once more.

Ryou tore his eyes away from the flames dancing happily in his hand. “This is incredible.”

The man let out a loud, barking laugh. “A flicker of flame is far from incredible. Foolish mortal.”

Ryou disagreed. He was mesmerized by the flames, and quickly learned he could weave them through his fingers and delighted at the warm, tingling feel of them. His face split in a wide grin when he met the lavender eyes again with a fresh new determination. “Teach me.”

The man’s eyes glinted and he matched Ryou’s grin with his own. “Demanding little morsel, aren’t we? Delightful.” He crossed his arms, watching the play of flames in Ryou’s fingers carefully. “It would be my pleasure to teach an enemy of the royal guards a trick or two.”

“Thank you.” Ryou beamed, and carefully poured tilted the flame to cup it in both hands. “I just realized – I never asked your name.”

The man chuckled, and his shadows enveloped him until he was nothing but a pair of glowing violet eyes once more. “You can call me Kek, my little Ryou. We’re going to have quite the adventure, you and I.”

**Author's Note:**

> Oh, the adventures they're about to have... the kingdom's in some kind of trouble. ;p
> 
> This project was a blast to be a part of. I hope you all enjoy the works in this collection!
> 
> [ Tumblr ](https://mainstream-deviant.tumblr.com/)


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